Playing cards



Patented Apr. 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE 2,467,044 PLAYING CARDS Jesse William Libby, Meredith, N. H.

Application April 29, 1948,Serial No. 23,998

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to games, and more particularly to a card game of an educational nature.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a card game which is at the same time extremely interesting and very educational.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game which simulates the presidential elections, and which thereby teaches the players the general system by which such elections are decided.

Another object of the invention is to provide a game of this sort which combines luck and skill, and in which a knowledge of the relative importance of the various States in deciding an election is essential to good play.

A further object of the invention is to provide a game in which success is dependent at least in part upon a knowledge of the relationship between the voting population of the various States and the number of electoral votes, so that the players are forced to learn this relationship.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a game in which the player unconsciously absorbs the names of the capitols of the different States and their approximate geographical shape while playing.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description, particularly when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which form a part thereof.

In the drawings:

Figs. l-A and 1-3 show the ballot box cards used in playing the game; and

Figs. 2-A and 2-B show the State cards.

The equipment for playing the game includes first a set of 48 ballot box cards 2 shown in Figs. l-A and 1-3. These cards include a suitable decoration, such as a showing of a ballot box, and an indication of the number of popular votes which varies with the different cards. The number of popular votes on each card is chosen to represent substantially the number of votes which may be cast in some particular State at a past or coming election. For example, one of the popular vote or ballot box cards might give the number 5,000,000, representing the State of New York while another would carry 40,000, representing the State of Nevada. Various numbers between these are shown on the other cards.

The State cards 4 are shown in Figs. 2-A and -2-B. Each of these cards carries the name of the State and the number of electoral votes to which such State is entitled in the electoral college. In addition, for purposes of further educational influence, these cards may carry a map of the State and an indication of the location and name of the capitol.

In playing the game, the two packs of cards are shuflied separately. One player is chosen as chairman, for example by having each player draw a ballot box card, the one carrying the highest number of votes being chairman. The chairman places the State cards face down on the center of the table. He then deals four ballot box cards to each player and places the remainder of the ballot box pack face down next to the State cards. The chairman draws the State cards one at a time from the top of the pack and announces the name of the State and the number of electoral votes, placing the card face up on the table.

When a State card is exposed, the players in turn starting to the left of the chairman are given an opportunity to bid for that card. Each player may bid as long as his bid is higher than a preceding bid. Each bid may cover only the number of popular votes on one of the ballot box cards held by the player. The bidding continues in sequence around the table, several times if necessary, until a bid is made which is not exceeded by any of the other players in their turns. This high bidder then takes the State card and places it on the table face up in front of him. The ballot box card which he has bid is then laid in front of the chairman and is treated as an expended card. The player whose bid has been successful then draws another ballot box card from the top of the pack to restore his hand to four cards.

The game proceeds in this manner until the pack of State cards has been depleted. When the stack of ballot box cards is depleted, the

players utilize only the cards remaining in their hands. This situation may arise where there are no bids made on some particular State card. In this event, the chairman turns a second State card, and bidding is made for the two State cards jointly. The bidder however may only bid the value of a single ballot box card for the two or more State cards so drawn.

When the game is concluded, the player holding the greatest number of electoral votes is considered as the elected president and winner of the game.

Because of the fact that the number of electoral votes and the values of the ballot box cards are closely related, it becomes essential that the players learn the relationship between the popular votes and the electoral votes. For example, if a player bids 2,300,000 votes for the State card of Delaware having 3 electoral votes, he will have wasted the opportunity to obtain a larger electoral of my invention, I wish it to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself thereby except within the scope of the claim hereto or hereinafter appended.

I claim:

Game equipment comprising: atfirst .setbf electtoral vote cards each having thereon thaname of 4 one of the States of the United States and the number of electoral votes cast by such State and a second set of an equal number of ballot box cards free of State and electoral vote designations and having thereon varying numbers representing popular votes, the numbers on the ballot box cards representing approximately the number of eligible voters in the various States.

JESSE .WILLIAM LIBBY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 000,095 Kyle, et a1 Aug. 8, 1911 1,115,434 Jafia Oct. 27, 1914 

